Cardinals Winter Leagues Notebook: Wk 5, Pt 2

Results from the last week in the Venezuelan and Venezuelan Parallel Leagues. Eduardo Sanchez is now pitching.

Venezuelan League

Stats through the games of November 14th.

Caribes de Anzoategui –
The Caribes went 2-3 for the week.
- Ildemaro Vargas: Vargas again saw very limited action this week. He started at short, batting ninth, in a 3-1 loss on Sunday. Vargas singled in his first at bat, advancing a runner to second. The opportunity came to naught because of a 4-6-3 double play that ended the inning. That was the 21-year-old's only hit in three at bats. He struck out once. Vargas appeared in Wednesday's contest, pinch running and scoring his squad's final tally in the seventh in a 3-2 loss in 11. He remained in the game at second, grounding out 1-3 in his only at bat.
Season-to-date: 10 G, 7 AB, 3R, 3 H, 1 2B, 2 RBI, 2 SO, .429/.429/..571/1.000, 600 BABIP.

Tigres de Aragua –
Aragua won four and lost two this week.
- Jorge Rondon: Rondon had a fairly good appearance and a not-so-good one for the period. His first appearance came on the 10th when he induced a groundout to first to escape an inherited jam of runners at first and second with two outs. The right-hander pitched two more frames, allowing a tally on a double/single/sac fly combination.

On Wednesday, he relieved with runners at second and third and none out in the fourth. Consecutive doubles ensured both inherited runners plus one of his own touched home. He tossed a clean fifth with one walk given up. The first batter in the sixth reached on a fielding error and Rondon exited after issuing another free pass. One of the two runners eventually scored. His line: 2 G, 4.1 IP, 4.16 ERA/3.89 FIP, 5 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 0 SO, 1.39 WHIP, .278 BABIP, .294 BAA
Season-to-date: 3.86 ERA/6.13 FIP, 10 G, 0 GS, 14 IP, 14 H, 7 R, 6 ER, 2 HR, 2 HB, 7 BB, 6 SO, 1.50 WHIP, .261 BABIP, .264 BAA
- Eduardo Sanchez: Sanchez saw limited action with two brief appearances. He tossed 2/3 of an inning on the 9th, yielding a double to the first batter faced. A sac bunt advanced the runner to third before the righty recorded another out on a fly out to right. He exited after issuing a base-on-balls but neither runner subsequently touched home. Sanchez took the hard luck loss in a 14-inning marathon on Tueday. He began the bottom of the 14th with a line out to short but issued a base-on-balls to the next batter. A swinging strikeout was the second out of the frame but consecutive steals ensued with an unearned run crossing due to a throwing error by the Tigres' catcher on the steal of third.
Season-to-date: 0.00 ERA/5.45 FIP, 3 G, 0 GS, 2.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 HR, 0 HB, 4 BB, 3 SO, 1.88 WHIP, .200 BABIP, .125 BAA

Cardenales de Lara –
Lara went 1-5 this week after going 3-3 last week.
- Richard Castillo: He made two appearances, on the 9th and 14th. On Friday, Castillo inherited runners at first and second with one out and his squad down 5-3. He loaded the bases on a single then forced in a run via a hit batsman. A wild pitch allowed another tally before Castillo recorded his only out on a called strikeout. A base-on-balls and another single brought across two more and got Castillo the hook. His relief permitted both of Castillo's runners to touch home. Those four runs were the first he had yielded in five appearances dating back to October 18th.

Castillo again faced runners at first and second with none out when he took the mound on Wednesday. One of them touched home because of a fielding error by the shortstop. The right-hander tossed three scoreless frames with two singles and a walk. For the week, he compiled a 10.81 ERA/4.70 FIP with a 1.80 WHIP, .286 average and .333 BABIP.
Season-to-date: 4.73 ERA/4.85 FIP, 10 G, 0 GS, 13.1 IP, 14 H, 7 R/ER, 1 HR, 1 HB, 5 BB, 6 SO, 1.43 WHIP, .283 BABIP, .264 BAA

Bravos de Margarita –
Margarita went 2-3 the week with two postponements.
- Silfredo Garcia: Garcia had two relief stints of one inning each. He got the job done on Sunday when he induced a 5-4-3 double-play ball that wiped out an inherited runner. A fly out left the remaining inherited runner at third. The righty could not duplicate those results in an identical situation on Tuesday. Garcia coughed up a double and one-out single that knocked in both runners. He left runners on the corners by notching two outs on a liner to third and 5-3 ground out. Garcia went two frames for the week, with two hits for a 0.00 ERA/3.20 FIP, 1.00 WHIP, .286 BAA and .286 BABIP.
Season-to-date: 2.61 ERA/3.49 FIP, 11 G, 0 GS, 10.1 IP, 11 H, 3 R/ER, 0 HR, 0 HB, 3 BB, 3 SO, 1.35 WHIP, .297 BABIP, .324 BAA

Venezuelan Parallel League

Stats are through games of November 14th except for the Bravos and Zulia which are through the 13th.

Bravos –
The Bravos went 2-1 since the last report.
- Ismael Brito: Brito tossed 2 1/3 innings on the 12th. The only damage in the second was a two-out base-on-balls. A lead-off single in the third was wiped out when the runner was gunned down trying to steal second. Brito put the first two on in the fourth via a single and a free pass. Both advanced on a sac bunt and another single finished Brito's outing. One of his runners eventually scored.
Season-to-date: 2.16 ERA/5.36 FIP, 8 G, 0 GS, 8.1 IP, 6 H, 2 R/ER, 0 HR, 0 HB, 7 BB, 3 SO, 1.68 WHIP, .292 BABIP, .259 BAA
- Breyvic Valera: Valera had multi-hit games as the Bravos' lead-off batter in all three of his starts this week. His solo shot on Friday put his squad on the scoreboard in an eventual 6-3 victory. The shortstop had two more hits on the 11th as he touched home for the go-ahead run, one of two tallies scored by him. Valera capped it off with a perfect 4-for-4 game on Tuesday although the Bravos fell 5-3. His line for the week was a scalding .615/.643/.846/1.489, 8-for-13, with a home run, a walk, five runs scored, one driven in, one strikeout and an error. Valera had a .439 BABIP.
Season-to-date: .426/.470/.557/1.027, 61 AB, 14 R, 26 H, 3 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 6 RBI, 4 BB, 3 SO, 3 SB, 1 CS, .439 BABIP, 4 E, 4.6 K%, 6.1 BB%

Caracas –
Caracas won all three games played this week.
- Gerwuins Velazco: Velazco was Caracas' starting first baseman on Sunday. He singled once in four at bats with a run scored and an RBI. Velazco was charged with an error as well.
Season-to-date: .235/.297/.265/.562, 34 AB, 4 R, 8 H, 1 2B, 6 RBI, 3 BB, 5 SO, 0 SB, 0 CS, .276 BABIP, 4 E

Caribes –
Caribes won one and lost four for the period.
- Ronnierd Garcia: Garcia started all five games for the Caribes with one start at third and three as the designated hitter. Details for November 8th are not available but he did start. As the designated hitter he batted seventh and eighth and third in his other start. His production was minimal, a single and a double in 19 at bats with a run scored and another driven in on a sac fly. Garcia struck out five times to bring his season-to-date total to 22 in 73 at bats for a 28.2% K rate.
Season-to-date: .151/.179/.274/.453, 73 AB, 5 R, 11 H, 3 2B, 2 HR, 11 RBI, 1 BB, 22 SO, 0 SB, 1 CS, .176 BABIP, 4 E
- Alirio Negrette: Negrette started in the Caribes' 11-6 loss on Tuesday. He was charged with the loss in giving up five tallies, earned, on five hits, including a solo shot, and four free passes in 4 1/3. The lefty plunked a batter with no strikeouts. Negrette averages 7.32 walks for every nine innings pitched.
Season-to-date: 6.86 ERA/7.72 FIP, 6 G, 6 GS, 19.2 IP, 20 H, 16 R, 15 ER, 4 HR, 3 HB, 16 BB, 10 SO, 1.83 WHIP, .258 BABIP, .263 BAA
- Cesar Valera: Valera made four appearances, all as the starting shortstop and hitting sixth, seventh (twice) and third. His most productive game was on Tuesday when he had a double and a home run in five at bats with an additional run scored. For the week, Valera went 3-for-14 with two doubles, a home run, two runs scored, two RBI's, a walk, two strikeouts and two errors.
Season-to-date: .259/.300/.456/.756, 54 AB, 9 R, 14 H, 6 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 10 RBI, 3 BB, 11 SO, 2 SB, 0 CS, .295 BABIP, 5 E

La Guaira –
La Guaira went 1-3 for the period.
- Anderson Gerdel: Gerdel had a three-inning stint on Tuesday in a game in which Kender Villegas was credited with the win. Gerdel yielded three singles, a long ball and two walks with three strikeouts. The home run came in the right-hander's third inning on the mound.
Season-to-date: 3.92 ERA/4.89 FIP, 6 G, 2 GS, 20.2 IP, 24 H, 12 R, 9 ER, 1 HR, 1 HB, 6 BB, 14 SO, 1.45 WHIP, .323 BABIP, .300 BAA
- Dail Villanueva: Villanueva's only appearance came during Monday's 9-4 loss. He entered the fifth with his squad down 7-0 and tossed three frames. The only run allowed came on a sac fly in the seventh after a double and steal of third. Villanueva gave up a single and two base-on-balls while striking out four.
Season-to-date: 5.14 ERA/3.77 FIP, 3 G, 1 GS, 7 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 0 HR, 0 HB, 6 BB, 7 SO, 1.86 WHIP, .368 BABIP, .280 BAA
- Kender Villegas: Villegas tossed two two-inning outings this week, picking up the win in one of them. His first appearance was the 9th when he began the fourth with La Guaira down 4-2. He worked a scoreless third, despite issuing two free passes, but did not do as well in the fourth. A base-on-balls, single, sac bunt and single produced two runs before a stolen base, single and throwing error resulted in an unearned tally.

Villegas had better results on the 13th as he picked up the win in a 7-5 11-inning battle. He threw a 1-2-3 bottom of the 10th and watched as La Guaira knocked in two in the top of the 11th. Villegas worked around a lead-off single to seal the win. Overall, he gave up three runs, two earned, on four hits and three walks in four innings with two strikeouts.
Season-to-date: 2.08 ERA/4.82 FIP, 6 G, 0 GS, 13 IP, 11 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 1 HR, 1 HB, 5 BB, 8 SO, 1.23 WHIP, .270 BABIP, .239 BAA